[‘Tradesmen or gentlemen’? The Victorian man of letters.] Autograph Letter Signed from Andrew Wynter, author and physician, to Edward Walford, editor of the Gentleman’s Magazine, criticizing the ‘vexatious and illiberal’ publishers Bradbury and Evans

See the entries for Wynter and Walford in the Oxford DNB. The present letter provides a valuable insight into the position of ‘the man of letters’ in Victorian periodical publication: according to the ODNB, Walford ‘edited the Gentleman's Magazine in 1866 and strongly objected to the proprietor Joseph Hatton's decision to change the character of that magazine. Walford resigned and started his own Register and Magazine of Biography, but this failed within a year.’ (In the 1880s, as editor of the Antiquary, Walford would engage in a public dispute with his publisher Elliot Stock, whom he would satirize as ‘Ellicott Skinflint’.) In the present letter ‘the people “over the way”’ would appear to be Bradbury and Evans, publishers of the magazine ‘Once a Week’. 5pp, 12mo, on a bifolium, with the fifth page (and signature) cross-written over the first. Addressed to ‘E Walford Esq’, with salutation ‘Dear Walford’. In fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Folded twice for postage. He begins by clarifying something he said when the two men last met: ‘I have never experienced anything but consideration and courtesy from yourself but the reverse appears to be the system on which the people “over the way” seem to act latterly.’ The previous rule was ‘to make all payments on the 16th of each month, a very good rule in dealing with the literary cast [sic]’, but at present there appears to be ‘no system there but that of delaying payment as long as possible. Then again the people “over the way” neither know how to treat their authors as tradesmen or gentlemen. If as the former they should be punctual in their payments, if as the latter they should be at least civil to them - they do neither. I really think if you will allow me to say, without offence, that the [?] time in payments, say the 16th would ensure to you personally better writers and better papers. The last payment was made to me this month after the paper had appeared. This was going on for two months for the present paper! Messrs Cassells pay their writers as soon as the matter is in proof, without waiting for it to appear. It must be clear to you that a writer in his choice of the two [?] must prefer the liberal Cassell to the vexatious and illiberal B[radbury] & E[vans].’ He ends by stressing the importance of getting ‘the people over the way to see the matter in the same light’.